A very useful word
My friend, quasi family member (Aunt-in-law who's about the same age as me) and fellow blogger, Quilldancer, had put up a funny blog about her english-as-a-second-language 5th grade students (spanish being the first) trying to come up with a spanish equivalent for the yiddish word, "Chuzpah." Well, in her words here's what happened (I hope it's okay that I reprint it here, Quilly-- let me know if that's a problem. I mean, call me... don't have your attorney call me. I mean.. I can just take it off the blog... really):
"The kids used words like brave, courageous, daring, dangerous, and even silly. I told them that the word chuzpah pretty much covered all those things, at which point Rico, excited, piped up with, "Oh! I get it! Cahones!"
That gave me chuckle and I commented that there are often words that are unsavory in certain company that are very useful. Then I remembered this thing I heard about another very useful word some time ago. Now, this circulated the web years ago and so you may have heard it before, but it's still good for a laugh and I thought it would be timely to give it another go around. So here ya go. For you, QD, though it may be much to your chagrin that I tied you in with this (don't do me any more favors, Tom-- I can just hear it. Pft!):
a useful word
posted by Just Tom @ 9:33 AM
19 Comments
19 Comments:
Tom, it is very hard to "pft" while laughing. Try it some time.
I'm glad you liked my story. Steal all you want as long as you accredit it.
I had never heard this before, but, yeah.
I love the classical music playing in the background.
I don't use it often, but sometimes no other word will do.
I used this word once in the classroom. It truly was the only possible choice. I sat down on a 20 year old empty student desk and one of the welds snapped. The word flew out of my mouth as I was hurdling backward toward the floor. What would you have said?
Okay, Tom, maybe you just want to go back to politics!! LOL
I have good F-word story, too. When Skye ws just learning to talk, I was home alone with her and listening to the Ducks game on the radio. This was last season and Kellen Clemens, now a pro in the NFL, was one game away from setting all new records for a quarterback in Oregon history. Well, he got sacked and his ankle broken in the process. When the announcer said that his ankle was broken I yelled out, "FUCK!" to which a startled baby Skye yelled back "KUFF!" I was so grateful that she got it backwards. I knew Cindra would have killed me if that she would have come home to the baby saying "fuck fuck fuck" all around the house. They are such parrots at that age (18 mos). whew!
I guess one could say that we are sharing "fuck" stories. How quaint. Anyone else have amusing fuck stories to share? Sounds so naughty. You can always say "f-word" if you don't feel comfortable typing f-u-c-k.
Absolutely nothing to do with this fucking post Tom, just reporting another coincidence. saw your comment on eldred jiggles blog and reference to Goxhill, where 10 years ago we bought a car, a battered blue volvo. The car served us well but we've never been back to Goxhill!
Ha! That is funny. What's more funny is that we've owned two old blue volvos and currently have an old white station wagon (probably an American term) and a blue sedan (that's probably a French word). Anyway, that' pretty much all we drive. They're cheap, used, and last a long time-- the odometer on our current blue '88 sedan stopped more than a year ago at 220,000 miles. It must be around 300,000 by now. I commute to teach at a University in that car that is 60 miles away!
Tom, if the car is 60 miles away, that is quite a walk before your communte.
Pft -- my mistake is a typo, what's your excuse?
Well, thank you, Cindra....with flair, huh?! And I AM still cool!
I remember well, when I started using the word, and why. I'll tell you some day. And sometimes it just seems that no other word will do.
The older I get though, the more I tend to lean toward what my grandmother believed. She always told us that it showed your ignorance - swear words usually being used for adjectives - any person with any intelligence could find many other words to use.
My best f-word story is too long for a comment box, so you'll have to surf over to my place to read it,around Christmas time... of course it's a Christmas story. I firmly believe in economy in story telling.
QD: zing! swish! Touche! Revenge is thine, oh Zorro of the rapier wit-- hey, I started it.
I'd sure have much less of this Santa Claus profile if I walked 60 miles to my car every day. Alas, I just don't have the time (or energy) to do that. However a good walk once per day is in order...
And Jackie, this post isn't really trying to promote the use of the F-word. I just remembered that funny little sound byte I put on there and let people take off from there. This too will pass. The political discuGoldenession is going on deep in the commentary bowels of the previous post.
Kat, I'd love to hear your story. It's available on your post? I may have to cheat on the Christmas time thing as I will be in the middle east for almost all of December with limited access (dial up only). I'll miss you guys and check in when I can.
Goldennib, yeah I liked the clasical music and the kind of 60s narrative golden tone of the announcer. Also, I'll catch up with you in the aforementioned commentary bowels.
Fuck yeah, Tom! That was fucking hilarious. Where the fuck did you find that link?
What? Doesn't everyone feel liberated dropping the F Bomb? ;)
Cindra, they ARE behaving, they are just behaving badly :P
Quilly~ I love that story
My vocabulary, never real heavy on the vulgarities cleaned up even more when I had kids. But it is definitely true that there are times when no other word really works as well. I love that little recording, great overall effect.
Logo -- thank you, I wanted to tell Cindra that, but didn't think I could do so without behaving even worse!
Tom, I love the comments on your page (and Cindra's) almost more than the posts. You really know how to set up fun.
I seem to bounce back and forth between heavy, political topics and just random goof for balance I guess (there's really not much rhyme or reason for what I do, other than if it does get too heavy on the politics, I kind of think-- maybe something else for a while...).
It's been great fun!
Love you all.
I can't believe Caryl hasn't been by threatening to wash all of our mouths out with soap.
Betsy! Your mouth!!
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